Easy Life may be Leicester-based but their music has an other-worldly feel. Murray (lead vocals, guitar), Louis (guitar), Sam (bass, sax, vocals), Cass (drums) and Jordan (percussion/synths/vocals) use atmospheric, airy synth tones, blaring brass sections and swung hip hop beats influenced by a fusion of genres from soul to Afrobeat to accompany their candid storytelling.
Beneath the musical bravado, things clearly haven’t come easily for Easy Life – which is precisely the point. Murray was raised and has worked all his life on the Leicestershire farm run by his parents, selling potatoes, plucking turkeys, and learning from an early age the value of getting your hands dirty to get where you want to be. He formed the band on a whim in late 2017 with school friend Sam after bonding over classic hip-hop as kids in the Midlands. What’s emerged – albeit by accident – is a manifesto to truly live by.
Easy Life released their debut EP Creature Habits this April, quickly grabbing the attention of the likes of BBC Radio 1’s Huw Stephens, Dork, NME and Wonderland. They hit the ground running with the release which includes lead single and mellow groover ‘Pockets’. Since the single’s release last November, it’s amassed over 1.3 million Spotify streams and gained them a deal with Universal’s Island Records who released the EP.
Following up on this success, they’ve released three new singles, ‘Frank’, ‘OJPL’ and ‘Nightmares’. ‘Frank’ discusses Murray’s struggles with mental health, with the frontman saying “I wrote ‘Frank’ in a cripplingly anxious and introvert state, about a summer fling that got seriously out of hand. At the time I was gutted and, at best, very confused: even now when we play it, I still feel a little uneasy.”
The Fraser T. Smith-produced ‘Nightmares’ dropped in September and was performed on the band’s live TV debut as they appeared on Later… With Jools Holland on BBC 2 last month. While the fearful lyrics and title contradict the hazy, trumpet-clad bop, Easy Life still manage to leave listeners optimistic that we’re all in this together.
Easy Life have refined their enigmatic live shows through performances such as their support slot for Liam Gallagher at Finsbury Park alongside Wolf Alice, DMA’s and Twisted Wheel to name a few, as well as festival appearances at Reading and Leeds, Barn on The Farm and Fred Perry’s Subculture Live.
Tickets on sale here
Facebook – /easypeasylemonsqueezylife
Twitter – @easylifemusic